'Brave' a safe pick for the younger audience

This film image released by Disney/Pixar shows the character Merida, voiced by Kelly Macdonald, in a scene from 'Brave.'

You won't find greatness on this week's DVD/download calendar, unless your tastes run toward 50-year-old desert epics. The newer releases on the slate may be lesser pleasures, but shouldn't be overlooked.

An animated flick with a strong female protagonist, Oliver Stone's latest trip into cinematic delirium and an infuriating yet fascinating documentary about wretched excess should be enough to hold anyone's interest.

New movies

? "Brave." Brilliant it's not, daring it never attempts to be, but this safe animated offering from Pixar still satisfies, perhaps more so because of its lesser ambitions. Set in a mythical Scotland of long ago, the film follows the red-haired Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly MacDonald), a young archer who makes a reckless choice that forces her to grow up fast.

Wrote Slate's Dana Stevens, "It's a rollicking children's entertainment, gorgeously animated and wittily cast, and also an unusually astute exploration of the complex bond between mothers and daughters." Rated PG for some scary action and rude humor. 93 min.

? "Savages." More often than not, the films of Oliver Stone tend to be a bit of a mess, exceptional in some respects while failing to cohere into anything approaching unqualified acclaim. This thriller, set in the drug wars along the U.S.-Mexico border, is highly stylized, drunk on violence that, for a change, isn't completely senseless. There's more to chew on here than what we're accustomed to finding in this genre, and the film features one of the best roles yet for the lovely Blake Lively.

? "The Watch." Any resemblance this film might bear to the real-life case of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman accused of killing teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida earlier this year, is purely coincidental, but nonetheless awkward. Fox figured changing its title would disassociate the film from the murder, but the movie's mediocrity was really all it took.

Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill star in this comedy, in which their suburban characters combat aliens. Any resemblance to "Ghostbusters" was what was really desired. Rated R for some strong sexual content including references, pervasive language and violent images. 102 min.

? "The Queen of Versailles." We're all entitled to the pursuit of happiness, it says so in the Declaration of Independence. And if building the largest house in the country will make David and Jackie Siegel, the deliriously rich subjects of this documentary, happy, who are we to question that right? It's intensely satisfying, at least initially, to watch this fatuous couple fall to earth as the faltering economy destroys their dream and ruins their superficial lives.

But don't be surprised if you find yourself turning sympathetic to their plight, the surest sign that this film is on to something thought-provoking. Rated PG for thematic elements and language. 100 min.

Old movies

? "Lawrence of Arabia." David Lean's 1962 masterpiece doesn't quite solve the enigmatic riddle that was T.E. Lawrence, the British military figure played so memorably here by Peter O'Toole. But no other motion picture that I know of captures the fearsome majesty of the desert like this epic. This Blu-ray offering includes a making-of documentary and four shorter featurettes that are fully as fascinating as the film, perhaps more so.

For some reason, this release comes in two-disc and four-disc versions. Stick with the former; the latter is considerably more expensive. Be aware that the best way to see this movie will always be in the theater. 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition. 227 min., two discs.

Top 10

This week's top DVD rentals, as compiled by Internet Movie Database: "That's My Boy," "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," "Madea's Witness Protection," "Magic Mike," "Safety Not Guaranteed," "The Avengers," "Snow White and the Huntsman," "The Cabin in the Woods," "Red Lights" and "The Five-Year Engagement."

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'Brave' a safe pick for the younger audience

You won't find greatness on this week's DVD/download calendar, unless your tastes run toward 50-year-old desert epics. The newer releases on the slate may be lesser pleasures, but shouldn't be